Pay attention while driving

[dellet]

Try driving in a tourist destination town, in season with people driving “modern/high tech” cars. Even worse is if it’s a rental and they don’t know the controls.

The newer the car, the fewer actual control or adjustment knobs or buttons it will have. It’s more likely a multi function touch screen wit internet capabilities and a GPS search function.

You end up with some jackass driving a car they are not familiar with, in an area where they are clueless where they are. The 92” touch screen in front of their face does not exactly help the field of vision or situational awareness, but it does allow you to plan your trip after you leave home while on the road at your destination.

“Mind numbing device, where is the nearest gas station?”

.3 miles behind you, would you like directions.

Yes please, I must not have seen it because I was distracted pushing your buttons.

Make a U turn in front of the logging truck that failed it’s last DOT inspection, don’t worry about it, he has brakes, the family on bicycles will be fine in the ditch when you swing wide with the motor home pulling your truck and boat. Make sure you ignore the “vehicles over 3 feet tall prohibited” sign and when your bus gets stuck under the bridge, just tell them “google said you could go this way”.

Great, can you help me with hotel reservations on my way to the gas station?

Too much technology, not enough driving.

 

[Bocephus]

It is only by the grace of God that any of us survive our daily commute. Most people drive as if everyone else is going to look out for them, oblivious to the fact that everyone else is just as clueless as they are. Between texting and talking while driving, my guess is that 60% of drivers are driving distracted. Lord please help us all.

And...please don't forget the mind/mood altering D-R-E-G-S...legal, illegal, Chiney brewed, home brewed or soaked in chitlins!
Recently a young woman and her infant son in our area got to meet Mr Undo-Taker all because she chose to take a ride with her BF, who was plastered, that met another fellow that was plastered...head-on.
As you might have guessed, both drivers are...just fine.

 

[Downhill]

My gripe is morons on their cell phones while driving. More dangerous than a drunk driver. At least the drunk will have both hands on the steering wheel and be "trying" to drive.

 

[TheOtherZilla]

My gripe is that people have no respect for traffic laws. A red light means speed up. I bought a dash cam a few days ago because of all the morons on the road. I see it daily.

 

[DiffEQ]

Lost a friend this August, T-boned by a woman running a stop sign.
Currently undergoing PT because a youngster texting didn't see traffic was stopped.
Sold my last motorcycle in 2015, put >50k on my two between 2008 - 2015. The distracted driving I saw was surreal. I really miss riding, too.

The police have long ago stopped giving them tickets because their bosses say it would be racist and besides, they give a lot of fake names since they never have an ID.

Back in the 90's in San Diego, my sister was rear-ended by an illegal. He was deported. Less than two weeks later, while driving her rental, she is rear-ended by the same guy! Can't make that crap up.

 

[Cloudrepair]

I think if everyone had to take a defensive driving class before they could have a license it would help a bunch

 

[Forum Boss]

Well with motorcycles, my experience is that visibility does matter. I normally wear a bright yellow helmet and a Hi-Viz Yellow & Orange coat. I recently went out with a Silver helmet and my classic German made hip-length black leather jacket.

Within 10 miles four different vehicles cut into my lane, two without signaling. This rarely happens when I'm wearing Hi-Viz.

 

[BlueWater]

I've been on "two wheels"(motorcycle) since the early 70's. Stupid fast sport bikes,yadayada.....

We,as "bikers" have always had to deal with this effed up notion that ...

It's been years since I had a motorcycle, but I've always driven as though I were on one, in terms of defensively anticipating all manner of lunacies, blind actions, deliberate actions and clusters rolled up in a ball. Has gotten me out of a wringer more than once.

These days, it's hard to believe how frequent the lawlessness is, to the point of endangering everybody nearby. It's only going to get worse, I think. Rats in a cage syndrome, more or less.

 

[AckleymanII]

I was involved a Head On Collision in March. I was sitting at a Stop Sign, not moving. Idiot ran a stop sign, was T boned by a S10, Delivery Truck hit my Toyota Tacoma head on, lucky to be here today.

By the Grace of God, Go I

Keith

 

[Intheshop]

Well with motorcycles, my experience is that visibility does matter. I normally wear a bright yellow helmet and a Hi-Viz Yellow & Orange coat. I recently went out with a Silver helmet and my classic German made hip-length black leather jacket.

Within 10 miles four different vehicles cut into my lane, two without signaling. This rarely happens when I'm wearing Hi-Viz.

I "could" disagree,but won't. I wear head to toe custom Vanson leathers. My favorite is a "Buck tan" colored jacket.

Here in the Va. mnts, drivers see "deer" tan and they start to pay attention,like REALLY paying notice. It's a learned response. High vis colors screem newby here and more often than not,solicit bigger problems.

 

[nakneker]

My Father is one of the guys who got ironbutt off the ground and running, it’s an association of guys who endurance ride motorcycles. I got interested in my thirties and spent many miles following Dad all over the United States and Canada. He made me take a couple of courses before getting my motorcycle license. He constantly preached safety and defensive driving. After awhile it became habit and now I’m teaching my sons the same thing. When I’m out riding the western states on interstates, lonely highways or forgotten roads I see all kinds of driving infractions and over the last few years I’m seeing more and more people cross the center line and come into my space, the majority of the time is some electronic device that Is the source of their distraction. Phones, iPads, movies, whatever they may be watching takes their attention highway from driving and puts other’s lives in peril. It happens a lot. Dad can’t ride anymore, lost that ability a couple years ago but his lessons still come back every time I drive whether it be motorcycle or anything else. He use to say “there are old riders and bold riders but there are no old bold riders”.

 

[dexter]

I drive a very busy area of So. Cal(Orange County) and have experienced everything from simply distracted drivers to dangerously fast & reckless drivers in HEAVY traffic. I've also witnessed quite a few accidents. My safe zone is driving in one lane @ general traffic speed without tailgating. Still, drivers merge in my lane when passing or cut me off. Its a daily occurrence. I just pay attention and try to let it go. I have to agree--Its getting worse. Is it age related? overpopulation? stress levels?. Don't know, but I dread driving anywhere anymore. I feel we need more CHPs on the road.

 

[Adam in WI]

This time of year it's fun to be hauling down a two lane road going 55-60 mph with a hopper bottom. Cars stop at intersection and pull out in front of you (because semis are slow you know). Ok, slow this ninety thousand pounds down so I don't rear end the schmucks. Drop three gears to get back up to 55; and now that same car is slowing down in front of me to turn left. Selfish impatient bastards.

 

[BlueWater]

This time of year it's fun to be hauling down a two lane road going 55-60 mph with a hopper bottom. Cars stop at intersection and pull out in front of you (because semis are slow you know). Ok, slow this ninety thousand pounds down so I don't rear end the schmucks. Drop three gears to get back up to 55; and now that same car is slowing down in front of me to turn left. Selfish impatient bastards.

The past 25yrs or so, I've gotten to where use of cruise control is the most-used accessory in my car. Set it to 1-2mph slower than the flow, stay out of the faster lane (if the road has one), and just drive. Particularly with more cars having those distance-sending forward-looking LIDAR cruise systems, many cars are effortlessly staying a comfortable (and safe) distance from each other.

Of course, there's always a goof in a line of cars who won't have any of that.

I'll be pushing up daisies before all of the traffic, out there, has auto-sensing and anti-stupidity gadgetry that works fully. Probably most of us will. But it will be amazing to see. Actually to have an entire roadway that has zero crashes and zero fatalities over an entire year, and people can just get to the business of going from point A to B without blowing gaskets every 50yds. That'd be nice.

 

[Forum Boss]

Intheshop Quote: "High vis colors scream newby here and more often than not, solicit bigger problems."

The seasoned motorcycle riders I know with considerable experience, who are commuting on a daily basis, predominantly wear High Viz gear, and many have hi-viz markings or reflectors on their bikes (e.g. on saddlebags) and many run extra lights. It seems to be the newbies (and chopper guys) who wear black.

One of our testers has been commuting on a Suzuki 650 for two years now. He started with a black jacket and helmet. I leant him my bright jacket as a test one week, and he ended up buying his own immediately.

Regarding "buck tan jackets" if it works for you in Virginia, that's great. But consider that Buck tan and shades of brown have been the original camouflage since the beginning of time. Logically buck tan is not what you'd want, particularly riding a road through a fall forest.

One thing to note about true High Viz colors such as "Day-Glo" yellow -- these can actually convert non-visible light wavelengths into visible wavelengths, with the result that Day-Glo products can truly be brighter than the background.

"Daylight fluorescent pigments ... convert ultraviolet light to visible light, resulting in color that is comparatively brighter than other types of pigments. This class of pigments is also known as DayGlo[.] Daylight fluorescent pigments were also used across safety applications such as construction cones, street signs and safety vests, due to their high visibility."
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day-Glo_Color_Corp.

 

[Rsadams]

Asshat tailgating me in a one ton , while I am in a small car this morning on the way to shoot skeet...tapped the brake lights at him a few times and he wouldn't back off so we went 22 mph for a long time.... Well till he could pass because I am not pulling over now.... Have some common sense and I will pull over and let you go , tailgating etc and I won't as a matter of fact I will go 20mph for 200 miles.... Don't get me wrong I go the speed limit , normally faster I don't hold up traffic and I don't drive in the fast lane except to pass but you want to act like a jackass and you will realize I am retired and don't have to be anywhere anytime anymore...

 

[AccelR8]

OK I just HAVE to contribute

I agree, it is getting worse. Seemingly by the day.

Among the many idiots there is one guy in a pick up truck I see frequently on my way to work. It's a very recognizable truck, what with the lift, the stupid looking wheels, the blacked-out windows and lights and all. He always comes from behind. If it's on the freeway, when traffic is averaging about 70, he'll be going about a hundred and I'm not exaggerating. Weaving from lane to lane to lane until he has to stand on the brake pedal when he has no where to go. He and I get off at the same exit and take the same city street for several miles. I've seen him, again, come from behind, and go over into the left lane (which as most of of know is for oncoming traffic) and pass a line of cars stopped at a red light and drive right on through the red light. Seen him do that on three separate occasions so far. There's a school zone. Once as cars are going 20 mph I saw him go over into the center left-turn lane and just floor it through the school zone.

Never a cop around. It's almost uncanny how often I see this joker. I swear sometimes I feel like following him to wherever he's going and say hey here's an idea, why not get out of bed fifteen minutes earlier?

 

[Intheshop]

It

Intheshop Quote: "High vis colors scream newby here and more often than not, solicit bigger problems."

The seasoned motorcycle riders I know with considerable experience, who are commuting on a daily basis, predominantly wear High Viz gear, and many have hi-viz markings or reflectors on their bikes (e.g. on saddlebags) and many run extra lights. It seems to be the newbies (and chopper guys) who wear black.

One of our testers has been commuting on a Suzuki 650 for two years now. He started with a black jacket and helmet. I leant him my bright jacket as a test one week, and he ended up buying his own immediately.

Regarding "buck tan jackets" if it works for you in Virginia, that's great. But consider that Buck tan and shades of brown have been the original camouflage since the beginning of time. Logically buck tan is not what you'd want, particularly riding a road through a fall forest.

One thing to note about true High Viz colors such as "Day-Glo" yellow -- these can actually convert non-visible light wavelengths into visible wavelengths, with the result that Day-Glo products can truly be brighter than the background.

"Daylight fluorescent pigments ... convert ultraviolet light to visible light, resulting in color that is comparatively brighter than other types of pigments. This class of pigments is also known as DayGlo[.] Daylight fluorescent pigments were also used across safety applications such as construction cones, street signs and safety vests, due to their high visibility."
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day-Glo_Color_Corp.

View attachment 1291165

It's like camo when deer hunting,if it makes you more confident in your riding(hunting),by ALL MEANS,wear it.

But if a driver can't see a neon green ZX10 Kwacker,.... bright orange Troy Lee helmet... and a freight train bright headlight...

Don't think construction safety jacket is gonna do much good. And my original point was that bikers seem to think it's all about "them". No,it's not..... as mentioned by all the truck drivers responding. I've seen accidents involving full sized pumper firetrucks. Dumbass drivers not paying a lick of attention,and selfishly texting is not a "must wear this color problem".

 

[joshb]

Well with motorcycles, my experience is that visibility does matter. I normally wear a bright yellow helmet and a Hi-Viz Yellow & Orange coat. I recently went out with a Silver helmet and my classic German made hip-length black leather jacket.

Within 10 miles four different vehicles cut into my lane, two without signaling. This rarely happens when I'm wearing Hi-Viz.

I’m thinking you ride a BMW? Nice bikes!

Forum Boss: I like BMWs, but my main ride is a 20-year-old Honda ST1100. This was actually the last 2-wheeled machine for which Soichiro Honda (company founder) was the actual project director. Consequently there are very, very few faults. Engine is very easy to work on (6.3 gallon gas tank is UNDER seat -- what looks like a tank is a fiberglass cover), the mirror placement is ideal. Longitudinal V4 is extremely smooth.




This ST1100 design first came out in 1990! If Honda simply updated this 31-year-old design with a better, adjustable windscreen, fuel injection, and Navigation, this would still be better than any other middle-weight touring bike sold today. Honda did produce the later ST1300 with FI and adjustable windscreen, but otherwise it is not as good as the ST1100 in my opinion. Riding position and handling are better on the older, lighter ST1100.

 

[dogdude]

CELL PHONES !! Their Killers !! I won't rant because every Idiot use's them.